Those Fantastic 1969 Firebirds

Is Pontiac's alternative to the Chevrolet Camaro a better buy?

Feature Article from Hemmings Classic Car

The Camaro was a homerun back in 1969 due to its styling and performance, and it has remained highly desirable to racers, enthusiasts and collectors ever since. Coveted by car magazine editors for cover material, it has become so mainstream that, like other pop culture icons, the Bowtie F-body has suffered backlash from some classic car aficionados who say they have seen too much press on them and too many at events.
Immense popularity has resulted in immense prices for the most powerful of the division's pony cars--Super Sports, Indy Pace Cars, Z/28s, COPO 427s and ZL1s etc.
Since in 1969 Pontiac and Chevrolet again shared the 108-inch-wheelbase, unitized shell with a bolt-on front sub-frame and the many components that comprised the F-body platform, the Firebird is an excellent alternative if you appreciate those crisp lines and attractive shape but prefer a ride that has maintained a lower social profile. Geno Francavilla, owner of our feature Firebird 400 convertible, and a legion of Pontiac fans already know this.
Despite being overshadowed, the Firebirds--especially the 400 variants--offer much of what a potential Camaro buyer desires, and in some areas considerably more but at a lower price than many comparable 350- and 396-powered cars.
Since Chevrolet could beat Pontiac on price while remaining profitable, thanks to higher volume sales, Pontiac had to take another approach to attract customers. Its designers and engineers refined the basic design, tactile qualities and operational characteristics to infuse the Firebird with its own identity.
It all began at the front. Chevrolet's design featured single head-lamps in an expansive V-shaped grille above a thin, chromed bumper. A resilient body-colored front bumper was optional, as were concealed headlamps as part of the extra-cost Rally Sport package. The SS option added bright inserts on the hood, and a raised "Special Ducted" hood was also available with some engines.
To impart the Firebird with the Pontiac family resemblance, a trademark split-grille, "ironing board" on the hood (with scoops on the Firebird 400) and quad headlamps were employed. Since there was no protection outboard of the chromed split-loop bumper, the headlamp bezels' material had to be impact-resistant, so Pontiac used Lexan, a GE-developed hard plastic. Below them, unlike the Camaro's unadorned round parking lamps, the Firebird used rec-tangular lamps with chromed crosshair trim.
Whether or not the Pontiac or Chevrolet treatment was better is a matter of personal taste. Regardless, they were decidedly different--no one was going to mistake a Firebird for a Camaro in the front view.
Wind splits created the slightly flared and squared-off tops of the wheel wells on both F-bodies, contributing to a lower and wider appearance than the 1968 models. Pontiac's front one, however, originated at the nose, while the Camaro's began at the wheel well, like the rear wind-split.
Further divisional differentiation was evident on the flanks where the Firebird stylists added non-functional front fender vents with decorative chromed trim and eliminated the Camaro's simulated brake scoops on the rear quarters. While the forward side marker lamps were simple on both cars, the rear ones were much more ornate on the Firebird. Where the Camaro employed simple rectangular lamps, the Firebird incorporated the marker lamp into the Firebird emblem.
In the rear, the overall shapes of the taillamps were similar, but the Camaro used a more conventional, single, large opening on each side filled with the lens. Conversely, the Firebird taillamps peeked through narrow slits in the tail panel, providing a near-louvered look. Pontiac's attention to detail was also revealed in the trunk lock, which was integrated into the Firebird emblem.
Pontiac offered a base OHC-6 sport coupe, the Sprint-6, Firebird 350 and Firebird 350 H.O., Firebird 400 and at mid-season, the Trans Am. Chevrolet's lineup began with an L6 sport coupe, V-8 sport coupe, Super Sport 350 or 396, Rally Sport, RS/SS, Z/28, Indy Pace Car replica, the very rare COPO 427 and rarer still ZL1 aluminum 427.
Convertibles were produced by both divisions and could be ordered with any of their respective powertrains, except Chevrolet's Z/28, COPO 427 and ZL1 427.
Though Chevrolet offered more engines in the Camaro--230- and 250-cu.in. straight-sixes and 302-, 307-, 327-, 350-, 396- and even 427-cu.in. V-8s--the Pontiac engines were just as durable, and in many cases, except the 425hp and 430hp 427s, just as powerful if not slightly more so.
An example of Pontiac trying to position the Firebird as an upscale choice when compared to the Camaro is evident in the standard engines. Chevrolet offered a 140hp, 230-cu.in. six-cylinder standard, and the 155hp 250-inch six was optional, while Pontiac's standard 250-cu.in. overhead cam 6 (OHC-6) produced 175hp. Going a step further, the Firebird Sprint featured a 215hp (automatic) or 230hp (manual) version of the OHC-6 with a four-barrel carb, low-restriction air cleaner, a hotter cam, higher compression and improved exhaust, as well as stiffer suspension. Chevrolet didn't offer performance versions of its six-cylinder engine.
However, Pontiac had no counter to Chevrolet's 290hp, 302-cu.in. Z/28 engine (the 303-cu.in. Pontiac engine developed for SCCA racing wasn't released to the public), the two-barrel, 210hp 327, which was replaced with the 200hp 307 in January 1969, or the ZL1 and COPO 427s.
Regarding the V-8 engines, Pontiac's outward dimensions were the same for the 350- and 400-cu.in. versions, and at approximately 675 lbs., were heavier than a Chevrolet small-block at roughly 550 lbs., but still lighter than a big-block Chevrolet at around 700 lbs. Pontiacs were designed more for torque output on the street than for high-RPM power on the drag strip, except for possibly the Ram Air IV. That same low-end torque made them competitive at the track nonetheless.
Pontiac's 350 engine could be had as a 265hp two-barrel or 325hp H.O. four-barrel, whereas the Chevrolet 350 four-barrel engines were rated at 255hp (replaced by a 250hp two-barrel 350 in January 1969) and 300hp, respectively.
The Firebird 400, 400 H.O./Ram Air III and 400 Ram Air IV engines were each underrated at 330, 335 and 345 hp, respectively, due to GM's policy of not rating engines at more than 1 hp per 10 lbs. of vehicle weight. While 1967-'68 Firebirds were fitted with carburetor linkages that restricted the full opening of the secondary throttle blades, the 1969 models weren't, so they had the same 350, 366 and 370 hp that the GTO had, placing their output on par with the Camaro's SS 396 ratings of 325, 350, and 375 hp. (The latter two 396 engines were not advertised in the Camaro brochure.)
Pontiac's 400 engine edged out the Chevrolet 396 in torque, while saving weight. The 330hp Pontiac 400 produced 430 lb.ft. of torque at 3,300 RPM, and the 325hp 396 produced 410 lb.ft. at 3,200 RPM, despite the fact that the 400 and 396 were very similar in bore and stroke dimensions, with the 400 featuring a 4.12-inch bore and 3.75-inch stroke and the 396 a 4.094-inch bore and 3.76-inch stroke. The torque increase can be attributed to differences in induction, cylinder head and exhaust designs, and cam specs.
Though torque increased to 415 lb.ft. for the 350hp 396 and the 375hp 396, the 400 R/A-III and R/A-IV with driver-controlled ram-air system were still 15 lb.ft. higher for the Firebird. (According to the published GTO ratings, which had the same 400 engine specs as the Firebird, 445-lb.ft. of torque was produced.)
Generally, a Saginaw three-speed was standard for the Firebird and Camaro six-cylinder engines and two-barrel V-8s, and a Saginaw four-speed was optional, except for the OHC-6. A Muncie HD three-speed was standard with four-barrel V-8s and the Sprint. Four-speed Muncie transmissions were optional (required for Z/28) for both the Pontiac and Chevrolet. The M20 wide-ratio and the M21 close-ratio four-speed were used in performance applications. A heavier-duty Muncie M22 could also be specified for the Z/28, 396/375hp and 427 Chevrolet engines.
After the Camaro's two-speed semi-automatic Torque-Drive transmission for the 230 and 250 straight-six, the next step up was the two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission for the six and small-block V-8s. The Super Turbine 300 two-speed automatic was available with the base OHC-6 and the 350 two-barrel in the Firebird.
The Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 (TH-350) three-speed was offered for the Camaro's low performance six and V-8s and Pontiac's OHC-6, Sprint and 350, and the TH-400 three-speed backed the high performance V-8 engines in the Firebird and Camaro.
Pontiac employed a B-O-P-type, 8.2-inch-diameter ring gear 10-bolt differential and offered gearing from 2.56 to 4.33, again depending upon engine and transmission choices and options. Safe-T-Track was optional and mandatory with some gear sets.
Chevrolet offered rear gear ratios from 2.56:1 to 4.88:1, depending upon powertrain choice. Its own 8.2-inch, 10-bolt rear was used on the lower-powered models up to the 307, 327 and 350 two-barrel (most instances) and 350 four-barrel (with the Powerglide). The famed 12-bolt with an 8.875-inch ring gear was employed with the 302, 350 four-barrel (most instances), 396 and 427-equipped models. Positraction was optional and mandatory in some instances.
Optional Custom interior for the Firebird employed molded-in armrests on padded door panels; breathable knit vinyl upholstery seat inserts; a wood-like vinyl dash applique; bright roof-rail side moldings; molded trunk mat; passenger-assist grip and additional trim pieces. Chevrolet's optional Custom interior offered many of the same main features, plus a hound's-tooth pattern seat insert was available.
Standard and optional interiors, though different in appearance between the Firebird and Camaro were comparable in equipment, but Pontiac went the extra step with regard to the automatic shifter. The Rally shifter, used with the TH-350 and TH-400 when ordered with the console, featured detents that allowed for safe manual 1-2 and 2-3 upshifting when starting with the shifter in low gear and pushing it forward and to the right for each upshift. The shifter cover even featured "1," "2" and "3" callouts on its right side. The Camaro's "basket handle" automatic could be upshifted manually (like any automatic shifter), but it did not have the manual upshift feature with the detents to avoid overshooting the next gear.
Both F-bodies employed unequal length A-arm front suspension with coil springs and a rigid rear axle with leaf springs, and shocks all around. They came standard with manual steering and the Z/28 had a faster gear, but variable-ratio power steering with a 16.0:1 to 12.4:1 ratio was optional for the Firebird (standard on the T/A) and Camaro.
Though the layout was the same, chassis tuning is another area where the Firebird and Camaro differed in an effort to instill unique ride and handling qualities. Springs were chosen via computer per vehicle weight with selected options. Front/rear ride rates at the wheel (not the spring rate) for the Firebird were: Base OHC-6--73/83 lb.in.; Sprint--73/90 lb.in.; and 350, 350 H.O. and 400--85/90 lb.in. The firm ride option increased the ride rate in coupes to 92/119 lb.in. and convertibles' rear rate to 123 lb.in.
Chevrolet's front-/rear-spring wheel rates for the six-cylinder were 99/115 lb.in., and for V-8s they were listed at 111/100 lb.in. (approximately 125 lb.in. rear on Z/28). Chevrolet also offered an F41 suspension package with revised spring rates and shock valving. Pontiac used multi-leaf springs on all Firebirds, but Chevrolet reserved them only for the 302 (four leaf), 350 and the big-blocks (usually five leaf). A .6875-inch front anti-roll bar was used for the Firebird (1.00-inch on T/A) and Camaro (.8125-inch for COPO 9737 Sports Car Conversion option).
The 9.5-inch standard drum brakes were shared, and both divisions offered optional power assist. Power disc brakes with single-piston calipers and 11-inch rotors were optional on both cars, standard on the T/A and SS, and a mandatory option on the Z/28. In this case, Chevrolet went the extra mile to offer a four-wheel disc brake option straight from the Corvette, which is extremely rare to find on a Camaro today with only slightly over 200 installed.
Standard for both the Camaro and Firebird were 14 x 6-inch wheels and E78 x 14 tires (Camaro) and E70 x 14 tires (Firebird) on the six-cylinder models and 14 x 7s with F70 x 14 tires on the Sprint and V-8s, except the Camaro's 307 and 350 two-barrel. Optional steel 14 x 7 Rally II wheels could be ordered on the Firebird, and steel 14 x 7 Rally wheels on the Camaro. The Z/28 featured 15 x 7 Rally wheels and E70 x 15 tires were standard.
Scott MacGillivray, who Geno Francavilla purchased our feature car from, is very familiar with the attributes of Firebirds and Camaros, having owned both. He found his 1969 Firebird 400 convertible in 2000 at a car show/cruise night at a local mall. Though it was ready for restoration, it did have a power top, steering and front disc brakes; an automatic transmission; hood tach; AM radio; and a console. It was also still in the custody of its original owner. "I thought it was rare and unique, and showed the potential to be stunning," Scott recalls. "I wanted to subtly modify it to look and perform well, but still look stock." Being the owner of Florida Classic Automotive in Stuart, Scott and his wife, Cindy, rebuilt and modified the convertible Firebird from 2002 to 2005, handling all the required tasks except for the paint.
Only the hood was replaced, as the body was rust-free. The shell was taken down to bare metal with chemical stripper and 80-grade sandpaper and then primed with three coats of PPG epoxy and then super high-build. It was block sanded with 80-, 180-, 320- and 500-grade paper and sealed. After Scott and Greg Michaelian, of Michaelian Restoration, also in Stuart, Florida, tinted the Glasurit urethane a few shades lighter than the factory Matador Red, Greg then applied three coats of the single-stage paint. Scott wet sanded the finish with 1000-, 1500- and 2500-grade paper, and then polished it with 3M products. The rear bumper was rechromed and reinstalled.
The Firebird's date-code-correct YS-code 400 engine was rebuilt, employing the original crankshaft, cut 0.010 / 0.010 in., Eagle forged rods and 0.040-over Sealed Power forged pistons. A Crower cam with 228/235-degrees duration at 0.050 and 0.479/0.494-inch lift with 1.50:1 Scorpion roller rockers bump the 2.11/1.77-inch valves in casting number 48 cylinder heads that Scott sourced for the project.
On the induction side, he added an 800-cfm Quadra-jet built by Cliff Ruggles and an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake. R.A.R.E. ceramic-coated Ram Air manifolds and a Pypes X-type crossover 2.5-inch system with Walker Dynomax mufflers and 1970½ reproduction stainless exhaust tips were installed. A hidden MSD box works with a Pro-Billet distributor and black Taylor ignition wires.
A 1969 TH-400 transmission was rebuilt, a shift kit was added and it was installed with a 2,400-RPM-stall TCI converter. The original 10-bolt rear end was rebuilt and fitted with an Eaton Posi and 3.55 gears.
To improve handling, Scott upgraded to an Addco 1.25-inch front anti-roll bar, 2-inch drop spindles, Eaton Detroit springs with a 30-lb.in. higher rate, and a quick-ratio steering box. In the rear, he installed WS6 springs. Polyurethane bushings were used on the subframe and throughout the suspension, and KYB gas shocks are at the four corners.
The 11-inch front disc and 9.5-inch rear drum braking system was also rebuilt, and larger-than-stock Pontiac 15 x 7 Rally II wheels with 225/60R15 and 255/60R15 BFG Radial T/A tires round out the handling mods.
Factory black Morrokide remains inside; only the door panels and the carpet have been replaced.
Scott says, "With restoration and modifications complete, the Firebird 400 convertible is exciting to drive. It's very quick, corners flat and precisely, and looks great with the fresh paint, a Camaro front spoiler and a new convertible top."
Scott tells HCC that once the engine was tuned to run well on 93-octane fuel, he ran it on the drag strip where it posted a 12.20 E.T. at 110 MPH and that it has won more than 31 first place trophies. It would appear that this Firebird 400 has realized its "potential to be stunning."
Like Scott and Geno, you can enjoy some exclusivity when owning a 1969 Firebird. As you can see in the production numbers section, Pontiac made fewer Firebirds than Chevrolet built Camaros. While this may make certain Firebird models a little more difficult to find, it also makes them more unique and less likely for multiple examples to show up at a car show or cruise night.
Parts availability, though not as widespread as for the Camaro, has improved considerably in recent years. The restoration of any V-8 1969 Firebird can be accomplished using many high-quality reproduction parts. Development of some engine components for the OHC-6 still lags behind those made for the Pontiac V-8.
There's more good news if you want to buy a Firebird to drive and enjoy and not collect simply as an investment. Except for the base-model six-cylinder, 350 two-barrel model and the Trans Am, a Firebird will generally cost less than a comparable Camaro. It's something to consider when pondering a classic F-body purchase.
1969 Firebird Production

Manual Trans

Automatic Trans

Total

Firebird and T/A Total

20,840

66,868

87,708

OHC-6

N/A

N/A

N/A

OHC-6 conv.

N/A

N/A

N/A

OHC-6 Sprint

1,284

428

1,712

OHC-6 Sprint conv.

213

54

267

Firebird 350 (inc. conv.)

N/A

N/A

59,280

Firebird 350 H.O. (inc. conv.)

N/A

N/A

4,466

Firebird 400 (inc. conv.)

4,601

6,921

11,522

Firebird 400 H.O. and R/A-III

480

243

723

Firebird 400 H.O. and R/A-III conv.

87

57

144

Firebird 400 R/A-IV

58

27

85

Firebird 400 R/A-IV conv.

12

5

17

Firebird 400 Ram Air Total

637

332

969

Trans Am Production

Trans Am R/A-III

516

118

634

Trans Am R/A-III conv.

4

4

8

Trans Am R/A-IV

46

9

55

Trans Am R/A-IV conv.

0

0

0

Trans Am Total

566

131

697

1969 Camaro Production

Vehicles

Total

All Camaros

243,085

Rally Sport

37,773

Super Sport

36,309

Z28

20,302

Indy Pace Car Convertible

3,675

Indy Pace Car hardtop

N/A

All Models V-8

206,837

All Models L6

36,248

All Convertible

17,573

All Coupe

225,512

ZL1

69

1969 Camaro and Firebird Coupe Prices Compared

Car

Low

Average

High

Firebird 250 OHC-6/175hp

$9,000

$19,000

$35,000

Camaro 230-6/140hp

$9,000

$17,000

$33,000

Sprint 250 OHC-6/230hp

$10,000

$20,000

$39,000

Firebird 350/265hp

$10,000

$20,000

$39,000

Camaro 350/255hp

$10,000

$20,000

$38,000

Firebird 350 H.O./325hp

$11,000

$22,000

$42,000

Camaro SS 350/300hp

$13,000

$27,000

$48,000

Firebird 400/330hp

$11,000

$22,000

$42,000

Camaro SS 396/325hp

$15,000

$32,000

$58,000

Firebird R/A-III 400 335hp

$12,000

$23,000

$44,000

Camaro SS 396/350hp

$17,000

$35,000

$62,000

Firebird R/A-IV 400 345hp

$13,000

$25,000

$48,000

Camaro SS 396/375

$19,000

$39,000

$70,000

Trans Am R/A-III 400 335hp

$38,000

$68,000

$138,000

Camaro Z/28 302 290hp

$25,000

$47,000

$76,000

This article originally appeared in the March, 2014 issue of Hemmings Classic Car.